The next grade of the Knights Cross, the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten) was instituted on July 15th, 1941 thought the official authorization was not published until September 28th of the same year. This Clasp consisted of an Oak Leaves and Swords set which, instead of being die struck, was hand crafted by selected jewelers and decorated with diamonds. As a result of this construction method, no two sets are alike. Made in 935-grade silver it was hollow backed to allow for better reflection of the 45 to 50 brilliants that were encrusted onto it. These diamonds generally totaled 2.7 carats with the overall weight of the award being 18 grams. The presentation set was slightly larger than the standard Oak Leaves and Swords, and the final result was really a beautiful work of craftsmanship.

Each recipient was also presented with a duplicate set for everyday wear, and these were well made but slightly inferior in construction. Jewelers also made a number of copies for private acquisition by the winners, these also vary in quality depending on the jeweler and may be seen with and without diamonds on the swords hilts. The award was presented in a small black case with velvet lining the base and white satin on the lid.

Only 27 members of Wehrmacht were bestowed with this award. This number shows that only men with the up most dedication and outstanding military career were considered, in short, the aces among aces. Hitler, who also presented each award personally, reviewed all considerations in detail. The first award was presented to Lufftwaffe Oberst Werner Molders upon reaching his 101st air victory, the last 28 of which came during the first 24 days of the Russian Campaign. The 27 men who deserved this distiction will be covered in the recipient section of the Knights Cross.

Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds	Knights Cross With Diamonds (Reproduction)

Iron Cross Index

Iron Cross Recipients Index